Alarm signal station



June 1965 D. R. RASMUSSON ETAL 3,

ALARM SIGNAL STATION Filed March 18, 1963 ATT NEY United States Patent 3,188,417 ALARM SIGNAL STATION Donald R. Rasmusson, Upper Montclair, and Benjamin Wendroif, Teaneck, N.J., assignors to Specialties Development Corporation, Belleville, NJ., a corporation of New Jersey Filed Mar. 18, 1963, Ser. No. 265,643 Claims. (Cl. 20061.08)

The present invention relates to electrical communications, and more particularly to an alarm signal station apparatus provided with an improved arrangement for giving an indication that the apparatus has been tampered with or has been operated to communicate an alarm.

Such apparatus generally comprises a box having a front wall formed with an opening, a switch mounted in the box in back of the opening, a closure for the opening, and a lever pivotally mounted on the closure and adapted to be operated manually to effect actuation of the switch. It has been proposed to provide apparatus of this type with means such as a frangible rod for giving a visual indication that the lever has been operated and/or an arrangement of means which prevents return of the lever to its normal or at rest position after being operated without removal of the closure from the box in a manner which only authorized personnel can perform. However, such means have unduly complicated the construction, operation and maintenance of the apparatus, and/ or have unjustifiably increased the cost thereof.

Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a simple, inexpensive arrangement for reliably performing the same general functions of the prior complicated and expensive apparatus.

Another object is to provide such an arrangement which prevents breakage of the frangible rod without operation of the lever.

Another object is to provide an improved arrangement for confining and replacing the frangible rod.

' A further object is to provide an improved arrangement for locking the lever in' its operated position.

A still further object is to provide such arrangements which render the apparatus very compact and economical to manufacture and assemble.

Other and further objects of the invention will be obvious upon an understanding of the illustrative embodiment about to be described, or will be indicated in the appended claims, and various advantages not referred to herein will occur to one skilled in the art upon employment of the invention in practice.

A preferred embodiment of the invention has been chosen for purposes of illustration and description, and is shown in the accompanying drawing, forming a part of the specification, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a front elevational view of apparatus in accordance with the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken substantially along the line 2-2 on FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken substantially along the line 3-3 on FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken along the line 44 on FIG. 3.

Referring now tothe drawing in detail, alarm signal station apparatus is shown which generally comprises a box 10, a closure 11, a pull lever 12 on the closure, a switch 14 in the box operated by the lever, a frangible indicator 15 on the closure adapted to be broken by the lever upon operation thereof, and an arrangement 16 for locking the lever in its operated position.

The box is generally rectangular and has a front wall 17 formed with a rectangular opening 18 (FIGS. 2 and 3) for receiving and removably mounting the closure 11 as about to be described. The front wall may be a nameplate having suitable indicia and indicating lamps 19 thereon.

The closure 11 comprises an inner upright wall 20 (FIG. 2) and four rectangularly arranged side walls 21 dimensioned to extend into the opening 18 and formed with a flange or frame 22 (FIGS. 1 to 3) adapted to overlie the outer surface of the wall 17 adjacent its opening 18. The closure by being so constructed provides a housing for the lever 12 and the indicator 15. At about the junction of the inner wall 20 and the lower side wall 21, an opening 24 is formed to enable a portion of the lever 12 to extend through the closure and into the box 10 for cooperation with the switch 14.

As best shown in FIG. 2, the closure 11 is removably attached to the front wall 17 by providing the outer surface of the upper side Wall 21 with one or more projections 25 which cooperate with the upper section of the frame 22 to receive the marginal portion of the front wall 17 at the upper edge of its opening 18, and providing a screw 26 on the lower section of the frame 22 adapted to be threaded into a nut 27 in back of the front wall 17. Preferably, the head of the screw 26 is formed with a slot 28 (FIG. 1) for receiving a special tool to thereby minimize tampering with the screw by means of conventional screw drivers, coins and the like.

The lever 12 is pivotally mounted on the closure 11 by a horizontal shaft 29 having its ends extending into openings 30 at opposite side walls 21 (FIG. 3); and includes a manually operable handle 31, an arm 32 having a projection 34 thereon for operating the switch 14, a portion 35 for breaking the indicator 15, a portion 36 abutting the outer surface of the closure wall 20 to determine the normal, at rest or non-operated position of the lever.

The switch 14 is mounted on structure within the box 10 such as a plate 38 secured to the back of the front wall 17. The plate 38 is formed with an aperture 39 through which a threaded body portion 40 of the switch extends for securement to the plate 38 by a pair of nuts 41 threaded into the body portion at opposite sides of the plate.

The switch 14 is of a conventional type which has a head 42 biased by a spring within the switch (not shown) into engagement with the projection 34 of the switch operating arm 32 to urge the lever in a rotational direction to normally maintain the indicator breaking portion 35 of the lever out of engagement and bias with the indicator 15 and to normally maintain the lever portion 36 in abutment with the closure wall 20.

The indicator 15 is a frangible element such as a plastic or glass rod extending horizontally below the lever portion 35 and having its ends seated in openings or bores 45 at opposite side Walls 21 of the closure (FIG. 3). Either or both of the bores 45 has an outer end facing side wall portions defining the opening 18, whereby the ends of the frangible rod are blocked by these wall por tions when the closure 11 is secured to the wall 17 and the rod can be inserted or replaced only when the closure 11 is detached from the wall 17 and is moved outwardly to expose the outer ends of the bores 45.

The lever locking arrangement 16 (FIGS. 2, 3 and 4) includes recess means 46 on the lever arm 32 and a leaf spring 47 mounted on the switch 14 having blade means 48 adapted to extend into the recess means 46 when the lever 12 is pulled down to operate the switch and to thereby lock the lever against return movement to its normal position without detaching the closure 11 from the wall 17 to release the interlock provided by the recess and blade means. The spring 47 also acts like the switch spring to urge the lever in the direction as already indicated.

3 v The arrangement :16 in its preferred mm (FIG. 4) includes a recess 46 at opposite sides of the projection 34, and a blade 48 at oppositesides of the switch each adapted to extend into one or the recesses 46. The leaf spring 47 has an aperture 49 at the middle thereof for receiving the threaded body portion 40 of the switch and the outer nut 41 is applied tourge the spring 47 against the switch mounting plate 38. In order to orient the blades 48 with ment of the blades -48 and recesses 46. Alternately or concurrently, this may be eifected by providing the lower edge of the spring 47 at the middle thereof with a lip 52 which extends under and engages the lower edge of the plate 38. 1

From the foregoing description, it will be seen that the present invention provides improved alarm signal station apparatus which is simple and economical in construction, is reliable and durable in operation, and greatly minimizes tampering without such tampering being quickly detected.

As various changes may he made in the form, construc-- tion and arrangement of the parts herein, without de parting from the spirit and scope of the invention and without sacrificing any of'its advantages, it is to be understood that all matter herein is to be interpreted as illustrative and not in any limiting sense.

We claim: 7

1. In' alarm signal station apparatus, the combination of a box having a wall formed with an opening; a closure member for said opening; atrangi-ble element having its ends supported by said closure member; a lever pivotally mounted on said closure member including a handle portion, a portion for breaking said element to give an indication that said lever has been operated; a switch operat ing arm and a push-button type signalling switch mounted in said box including a head engaged by said switch operating arm, a spring mounted on said switch adjacent said head for biasing said lever in a rotational direction to normally maintain said element breaking portion out of bias with said element, and cooperating'blade means on said spring and recess means on said switch operating arm for locking said lever in an operated position to give a second indication that said lever has been operated.

2. In alarm signal station apparatus, the combination of a box having a Wall formed with an opening, a closure member for said opening, means for removably securing said closure member to said wall, a signalling switch mounted in said box including a head for efiecting operation of said switch, a lever including a handle and an arm having a projection for'engaging said head to effect operation of said switch and having recess means adjacent said projection, and a leaf spring mountedon said switch having blade means adapted to extend into said recess means when said lever is operated to thereby lock said lever in its operated position and to prevent return thereof to its normal position withoutremoval of said closure member from said wall.

3. In apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said recess means include a recess at opposite sides of said projection, and said blade rneans include 'a blade. at opposite sides of said-switch each adapted to extend into one of said recesses.

4. In apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said switch includes a threaded body portion for mounting the,

same in said box, said box includes structure for mount.- ing said switch formed with an opening through which said body portion extends, said leaf spring has an aperture at the middletthereot for receiving said body portion, and nutmeans are threaded onto said body portion for effecting securernent of said leaf spring and said switch on said structure.

5. In apparatus according to claim 4, wherein said leaf spring includes means for orienting said blades withrespect to said recesses.

References Qited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 626,318 6/99 Callum 340-303 2,356,989 8/44 Getz et al 340 303 2,726,381 12/55 Ver-kuil 340 -30=3 2,822,451 2/58 Holmes 20061.08 x 2,985,741 5/61 Ellman 340-303 X NEIL C. READ, Primary Examiner. 

1. IN ALARM SIGNAL STATION APPARATUS, THE COMBINATION OF A BOX HAVING A WALL FORMED WITH AN OPENING; A CLOSURE MEMBER FOR SAID OPENING; A FRANGIBLE ELEMENT HAVING ITS ENDS SUPPORTED BY SAID CLOSURE MEMBER; A LEVEL PIVOTALLY MOUNTED ON SAID CLOSURE MEMBER INCLUDING A HANDLE PORTION, A PORTION FOR BREAKING SAID ELEMENT TO GIVE AN INDICATION THAT SAID LEVER HAS BEEN OPERATED; A SWITCH OPERATING ARM AND A PUSHBUTTON TYPE SIGNALLING SWITCH MOUNTED IN SAID BOX INCLUDING A HEAD ENGAGED BY SAID SWITCH OPERATING ARM, A SPRING MOUNTED ON SAID SWITCH ADJACENT SAID HEAD FOR BIASING SAID LEVER IN A ROTATIONAL DIRECTION TO NORMALLY MAINTAIN SAID ELEMENT BREAKING PORTION OUT OF BIAS WITH SAID ELEMENT, AND COOPERATING BLADE MEANS ON SAID SPRING AND RECESS MEANS ON SAID SWITCH OPERATING ARM FOR LOCKING SAID LEVER IN AN OPERATED POSITION TO GIVE A SECOND INDICATION THAT SAID LEVER HAS BEEN OPERATED. 